Elevated tracks required for rail link: industry

A speaker at the national rail conference in Canberra says a high-speed link between major cities is possible if new technology is adopted.

Dozens of train experts and railway manufacturers are gathering for the start of the AusRail conference, as Federal and State Governments remain concerned about price estimates for building a new train line.

Head of Metro Trains Melbourne Andrew Lezala says elevated tracks will be needed alongside existing infrastructure such as highways, to help reduce costs.

"In my opinion it will only happen if we have a technology that can use existing corridors to a great extent and can be built at an affordable price as a result," he said.

"That's what I'm proposing."

Mr Lezala says he will use his address to the conference to raise the issue.

"This technology is a hybrid that uses conventional technologies reconfigured into an ultra light train that can travel alongside highways," he said.

He says he believes the political backing will follow, if an affordable high speed train concept is developed for the east coast of Australia.

Victoria's laws for disclosing political donations have long been criticised as among the weakest in the nation, but Premier Daniel Andrews says his proposed reforms will make the state's donations laws "the strictest donation laws in the country".